Star Wars Fables III: Size Matters Not
by LadyElaine
Summary: Can Master Nejaa Halcyon help a young Obi-Wan and Aayla Secura with their little green problem? Based on 'The Three Billygoats Gruff'.


Title: Size Matters Not

Author: LadyElaine

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Star Wars belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Rating: G

Summary: Based on "The Three Billygoats Gruff".

Feedback: dragonlady75069@attbi.com

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Size Matters Not 

"Obi-Wan, we have lightsaber practice in the training room," Aayla said in a worried voice. The Twi'lek girl had met Obi-Wan in the corridor on the way.

"Yes, Aayla, I know," Obi-Wan muttered. Aayla Secura was a year younger--and almost a head shorter--than Obi-Wan; like all boys his age, he considered anything smaller than himself (and worse yet, female) to be inferior.

"But Master Yoda's in there."

"And?"

"He's in the doorway."

"And?"

"He's _meditating_!"

"Oh." Obi-Wan's steps faltered as they neared their assigned training room. Sure enough, there sat the little green master, situated in the middle of the doorway, his eyes closed. Obi-Wan and Aayla hid behind a nearby pillar and stared at the meditating master. "Well, how are we supposed to get past him?" he wondered aloud. "Doesn't he know we've got practice in there?"

Aayla nervously twined one blue lekku around a finger. "I don't know. You're older than me, don't you have any ideas?"

Deliberately ignoring the girl's sarcastic tone, Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "Why don't you just go ask him to move?"

"Me?" she squeaked.

"Yes, you. Everyone knows Master Yoda likes the littler kids."

Aayla flushed dark blue, then stood up straight, making herself as tall as she could. "Fine, then," she snapped. "I will!" 

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If there was an award for flouncing, Obi-Wan said to himself, _she'd win it._

Master Yoda didn't so much as twitch an ear as the girl neared him. She stopped several feet away, trying to scrape up the courage to speak. 

Then... Yoda's right eye opened.

Aayla bolted.

"He _looked_ at me!" she gasped when she huddled safe behind their pillar again, out of breath more from terror than exertion.

__

Girls, Obi-Wan snickered to himself. "All right, I'll go." 

"Well, what'll you do?"

"I'll just walk around him," Obi-Wan announced. "You know what he always says--'Size matters not.' " 

Ignoring Aayla's look of scandalized disbelief, he strode up to Master Yoda, trying not to swagger too much. But he, too, stopped before reaching the diminutive master. In the room behind Master Yoda, a pair of training remotes stood on their pedestals, waiting to be used by the padawans. 

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Size matters not, Obi-Wan repeated to himself. The tiny master presented a huge problem, though. The training room door wasn't very wide, and one did not simply walk that close to a master deep in meditation--not without risking the master's peace, anyway. And _no one_ disturbed Master Yoda.

Then... Yoda's left eye opened.

Obi-Wan started in horror, and he found himself backpedaling frantically away to the safety of the pillar. "I see what you mean," he whispered to Aayla. "He looked at me, too."

"Is there a problem, youngsters?"

Obi-Wan and Aayla jumped. Behind them stood Master Nejaa Halcyon, a Corellian Jedi of some repute. Or disrepute, depending on how one looked at it.

"Well--" Aayla started to say.

"We're supposed to be practicing in there," Obi-Wan interrupted her.

"But Master Yoda's--" Aayla tried again.

"He's sitting in the middle of the doorway, and we can't get past him, and we don't know what to do!" Obi-Wan finished all in one breath.

"Hmm. This does seem to present quite a sizeable dilemma," Master Halcyon said, his eyes twinkling. "I assume you've already gotten the Lecture?"

Both padawans nodded. "Size matters not," the said in practiced unison.

"Well, take heed, youngsters," the Corellian said, raising one finger. "Because that's not always true. Watch and learn."

Obi-Wan and Aayla followed on the Jedi's heels as he approached Master Yoda. "Excuse me, Master," he said, "but the kids here need to use the training room."

Master Yoda gave no sign that he'd heard a thing.

"Well, in that case..." Master Halcyon said--and Obi-Wan's and Aayla's jaws dropped as he picked Master Yoda up in both hands. Setting the wizened little Jedi Master gently to one side, he waved the two padawans into the training room. 

Obi-Wan glanced at Master Yoda. He didn't seem to have moved a muscle, for all that he was half a pace away from where he'd originally been.

"You see," Master Halcyon said. "Sometimes, when you can't get around a problem, you just have to move it out of the way. No matter how big an obstacle it is." He walked into the room after them and, with a wink, murmured, "Or small."

As Master Halcyon left them to their training, an impossible sound drifted in from the corridor. Obi-Wan and Aayla stared at each other, agape in shock.

"Did you hear that?" Aayla whispered.

"Nope."

"Yeah. Me neither."

A silent promise passed between them then, to never, ever tell anyone what they'd heard: the cackling laughter of a little green troll.

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End. 


End file.
